Tavern Brawls S01 Finale!

The grounds around the Tipsy Turtle Inn were packed with people and Abacus was so busy keeping the peace around Arwen while the last bets were made that he could only keep half an eye on the teams as they were getting ready.

He chanced a glance to the other end of the ring and noticed that the Commissar had just arrived. As always, she was flanked by the brusque Monaghan brothers and clad in a fur lined jacket and boots – never one to miss an opportunity to promote her family’s business. Her attitude was distinguished enough that even spectators from out of town recognized her as someone with authority and the packed crowd seemingly shrunk in on itself to allow her a spot right by the ring.

Butterflies took off in Abacus’ stomach as he looked at her. Even from here he could sense her smug expression and if it hadn’t been for her henchmen constantly scanning the crowd, he might have smiled too. Instead he held it back and settled for mocking her in his thoughts. ‘Just you wait. When the brawl is over, you won’t be smiling anymore’.

Of course, she had no idea, what was coming. She had explicitly ordered he and Arwen to take whatever measures necessary to ensure that the Hand would forfeit the final brawl. She had taken out private bets with a few city officials and she needed that money. But as Abacus had guessed, the Hand’s Daredevil Charon had not been happy with the suggestion. Abacus instinctively reached up to let a finger graze along his left eyebrow that was still curled and crumbly due to the battle mage’s explosive reaction. Charon had let him know in no uncertain terms that the Hand had been brought together to win the tournament and that he wasn’t about to sully himself or his teammates by agreeing to cheat to suit some government official – no matter who she thought she was.

Abacus had decided not to push the subject.

Arwen and he had instead talked it over and made a plan of their own. They had taken every earning and every possession they could call their own and had then made counterbets for the Hand to win. It was a risky endeavour, but if they had deemed Charon and his band of mercenaries correctly, the rewards would be well worth it.

The bets on the first match were mixed. Nobody really seemed to know which wizard to put their money on as both wizards had been bested only once during the tournament. They had fought each other in the very first week of the brawl where Zerbex had emerged victorious, but both wizards had since learned many things. As soon as the fights started, the crowd was pushed back a few paces from the sheer heat outlet of the fire balls they let loose. The air immediately got almost too thick to breathe as they ignited their spells left and right. But Zerbex never really seemed to find his footing and Charon took the first match.

The second fight was the most anticipated among the spectators as it featured the undefeated Artemis. The Ranger had been kind of a wild card because no one seemed to know anything about her, but she had shocked everyone with her steady eye and unwavering determination. She had won the crowd’s hearts and if she fell now, Abacus wouldn’t guess it unlikely that Leeroy Jenkins might find himself surrounded in an alley somewhere before nightfall. The brave Fighter however seemed unfazed by this prospect and threw Artemis to the ground with brute force – bringing about the Ranger’s second fall in the tournament. Covered in dust she got to her feet while the enraged and excited crowd yelled for Artemis to slay her foe. And in swift succession, she did just that – cementing her status as the only undefeated brawler of the tournament.

Abacus relaxed just a little. With two wins in the Hand’s favor already, he could afford it as the next fight started. He chanced another glance at the Commissar and had to suppress a smile, because hers had vanished. When one of the Monaghan brothers moved his gaze towards him, Abacus quickly looked to the ring again.

Phobos from the Hand was expected to take the match with ease as he had won every match but one until now – which was as many as Minuet had lost. The Hand’s victory seemed imminent and the only exciting thing about this match was that he had heard that the two Thieves had decided to battle out an old grudge in the ring. And Abacus had to admit that they did both look particularly determined as they unsheathed their knives and flung them at one another. The match which was expected to be short didn’t disappoint, but it was Minuet who took down his fellow Thief not just once, but twice in quick succession – making him the unexpected winner.

It was at that time that Abacus’ throat started to dry out. Phobos’ had been one match that he hadn’t thought to worry about and after one look at the other end of the ring, Abacus could see that the Commissar had regained her smug expression.

The next fight was between the Ranger JackDaniels and the Cleric Nyx. Through the entire tournament, only a single Cleric had managed to subdue a Ranger, so Nyx would have to bring out everything she had if she were to win this one for the Hand. But JackDaniels had his eye locked on her followers and in what felt like only moments later emerged victorious.

The excitement around the ring was at a boiling point. Abacus’ heart was pounding wildly. The last fight featured the Hand’s Fighter Achilles vs. Drink, Smash, Repeat’s Cleric Lucy Lawful. This wasn’t good at all. During the entire tournament, only a few Fighter vs. Cleric matches had taken place because all teams sought to protect their Fighters from this matchup. Sweat started running down Abacus’ spine and he clung to the railing of the ring with all might. If Lucy Lawful took this match, he and Arwen wouldn’t have as much as a button to pay for ale tomorrow.

The fight went long and Achilles fought as hard as any Fighter had ever fought before. Lucy Lawful tried to Dominate the ring with her constant use of her Word of Power, but Achilles held true and the crowd all but exploded in roars of excitement when he was the one left standing while Lucy Lawful’s teammates had to help her back on her feet.

Both Abacus and Arwen had had their eyes glued to the last fight, but as it finished they were jumping up and down along with everyone else – grasping each other’s arms and congratulating each other. It didn’t take long for them to get back to their senses and when it happened they both looked directly towards the other end of the ring. The Monoghan brothers were nowhere to be seen. Arwen looked at Abacus. “Time to go?” Quick to agree, Abacus and Arwen melted into the crowd and were soon out of sight.

What they didn’t see was how the Commissar rose to her feet – her face carefully composed. “Silence!” Her magically enhanced voice carried easily across the grounds and soon excitement had died down as everyone looked at her to hear what she had to say. “It has come to the City’s attention that this unauthorized tournament is not only illegal but also rigged to exploit the citizens of our beautiful city.”

Disturbed murmurs broke out everywhere but quickly died down when she continued. “The band known as ‘The Hand’ has been investigated by the city guard and has been found in possession of several enhancement scrolls which …” She didn’t finish her sentence as outraged cries erupted from all around the ring. The celebratory atmosphere had flipped to one filled with righteous indignation and everywhere hands were shaking in the air – promising retaliation for lost coin. 

“Lies!” Charon’s enraged protests were drowned in the cries of the crowd who had started to close in on the ring. The Commissar continued. “In accordance with the City regulations on Tournament Conduct, the mercenary band known as ‘the Hand’ is hereby disbanded and its members will be facing further investigation to determine their penance.” The crowd were busy shouting insults and threats towards the ring, so the members of The Hand were the only people who saw the self-satisfied little smile she sent in their direction. “Take them in.”

City Guards moved in from all sides and as Nyx looked to her brawl mates, she only found the same angry determination on every face. Achilles tightened his hold on his axe and Phobos unsheathed his knives. They would not go down without a fight. Just as the guards reached them, they all turned and formed a circle around Artemis – protecting her and each other’s backs – while she emptied her quiver in quick succession.

If anyone still had doubts about the Hand’s skill it was put to shame as the band battled their way through the crowd – leaving bleeding and broken bodies in their wake – and disappeared into the closest alley. From the looks of it, the Commissar might have made a new enemy.